Western Inn

The front desk clerk was pleasant and polite, but that was the only good part of the stay. The rooms were overwhelmingly filthy. I left the first one because the bedding and bathroom were so nasty, and the second room was only a little better. We spent just 15 minutes there, but they still refused to refund our money. This motel doesn’t deserve even one star.

It’s a real dive, but I was traveling alone and just wanted a cheap bed for the night, and it costs about half what the other hotels in town do. My room was reasonably clean, with tile floors, decent air conditioning, and a flat-screen TV with plenty of channels. The bed had sheets and one of those cheap hotel covers. There were no towels or shampoo, just a sealed bar of soap. I checked in at 8 pm, and after-hours check-in meant dealing with staff through bulletproof glass and a metal box, like at a bank. They still use regular keys, there’s no microwave or fridge, and the ice machine was out of order.

If you’ve got plans for the day and only need a clean place to sleep, this is a decent deal. I stayed for the Renaissance Festival. The rooms open to the outdoors but face an enclosed area behind the lobby. Nearby there’s a restaurant, a bingo parlor, a racetrack station, and a frozen yogurt shop. I liked the tile floors, though there’s no fridge or microwave, and the ice machine was broken this week. Pets are allowed for $25 per pet per night. The staff were friendly and made check-in and check-out easy. It isn’t luxurious, but it worked fine as a place to rest.

The room had roaches, a used washcloth hanging from the shower curtain bar, and an earring by the bed. The toilet was loose and felt like it might tip, and the shower drain was so poor the tub filled while I was using it. There was only one electrical outlet for guests. As a former fire inspector, I also noticed the wired smoke detector had been disconnected and its battery removed. Our reservation couldn’t be found, so we paid more for a room with one fewer bed than we’d booked. They also required a $10 cash deposit for each key, even though I was paying by credit card and had no cash. They aren’t cooperating with Travelocity about refunding the extra amount. One of the worst hotel stays I’ve had.